LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Comedian George Carlin won a Grammy Award on Sunday for an album released a month after he died of heart failure last year.

Carlin was honored in the comedy album category for "It's Bad For Ya," a recording of his 14th and final HBO comedy special. It marked his fifth statuette.

The award was accepted by his daughter, Kelly, who said she would take better care of it than her father did of his first statuette. She recalled that "in a chemically induced, altered state," he took it apart and the Recording Academy had to send him a new one.

The counterculture hero, famed for his routines about drugs, dirty words and the demise of humanity, died in a Los Angeles hospital in June, aged 71. His last special aired live in March, and was released on CD in July.

The field also included past winners Lewis Black and New Zealand comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, as well as Kathy Griffin and Harry Shearer.

The 51st annual Grammy Awards, the music industry's top honors, were handed out at the Staples Center.

Joe, I've seen this video and it's awesome! He has it posted on his myspace page. I also think George would have like it, I think he also would've liked Louis CK's latest album/special "Chewed Up" he starts it off talking about how you can't use some words because other people have ruined them for everyone, great stuff.

George Carlin was such an intelligent, rational person as well as a fantastic comedian. If you're a fan of Carlin, you should check out Louis CK, he's the best thing going right now, very much inspired by George Carlin.